Edward smith axd frederick smith



(No Model.)

E. & F. SMITH. ADVERTISING SIGN.

Patented Nov; 18, 1890.

EDWARD SMITH AXD FREDERICK SMITH, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

ADVERTlSING-SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,779, dated November 18,1890.

Application filed September 8, 1888. Serial No. 284,924. (No model.) Patented in England October 19 1887, 11:0. 14,215, and in Canada June 17,1889,N0. 31,600.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD SMITH and FREDERICK SMITH, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing both at No. 34 Grarp Inn Road, in the county of Middlesex, Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented new and useful Improved Means for Producing a Sparkling Eifect, ornamental and other, for Advertising and General Display Purposes, (for which I have obtained British patent dated October 19, 1887, No. 14,215, and Canadian patent dated June 17, 1889, No. 31,600,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to impart a sparkling effect or appearance of an ornamental or other character to articles of various designs employed for general display and advertising purposes.

According to ourinvention we employ sheet material of any suitable kindsuch as paper, metal, linen, or the likeupon which devices, letters, numerals, &c., of a plain or of an ornamental character are printed, painted, drawn, woven, or otherwise impressed or worked, and through such material we form perforations by any suitable means, such as by punching. The perforated sheet material maybe mounted upon or secured to sheet-glass having either plain or roughened, corrugated or other uneven surface or surfaces. When the sheet material is of a rigid nature-such as sheet metalthe backing of glass may be dispensed with. Behind the perforated sheet material and the sheet-glass, when such is used, is arranged a metallic, metallized, or other reflecting surface or body either of one color or of several colors blended or not. The arrangement-is suohthatwhen light is allowed to be reflected from the surface or body at the rear of the perforated material and through the perforations these will have an appearance and brilliancy having a resemblance to those of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, or other gems, according to the color or colors of the saidsurface or body. In lieu of using perforated sheet material, sheet-glass may be employed that is coated or covered-as; for in: stance, by painting-or otherwise treated-as, for instance, by sandblasting-in such a manner as to leave a number of clear parts surrounded by opaque or translucent parts. The clear parts of the glass serve the same purpose as and is hereinafter regarded as the equivalent of the openings or perforations in the perforated material. Such sheet material formed with a series of perforations or bearing a transparent design 011 an opaque or translucent ground is referred to in the claim by the generic term perforated sheet material. The perforations 0r the-clear parts of the coated or frost-ed glass, when such is used, may be arranged in any desired manner and may be within, between, or around i the letters, numerals, or other characters or devices. The peripheries of the perforations or their equivalent may be plain or of star or other desired shape. \Vhen paper, linen, or other similar flexible material is employed, it may be strained upon sheet-glass, to which it may be secured in any suitable 1nanneras, for instance, by means of paste or cement.

In carrying our invention into practice we take a sheet of paper, linen, orothe'r suitable material capable of being drawn, painted, or printed upon, and upon it we may draw, paint, or print, or otherwise impress any desired ornamental devices, letters, or other characters through which or through the groundwork surrounding the same, or it may be through both, we stamp out numerous small openings or perforations of any suitable shape-such as stars, polygons, crosses, or circles-which may differ in size and design according to the efiect required. When the ornamental device is of large size and is to be viewed from a distance, the perforations should be increased in size to obtain the best eifect. Thus. in some cases the perforations may each have the form of a letter or other character or device. be small relatively to a letter or other character, in or around which there will therefore be a number of perforations. The perforated sheet of paper, linen, or other material is mounted on glass or other transparent body,

range a sheet or piece or pieces of bright me- Usually, however, the perforations will and behind it at-a distance therefrom we ar- 'tallic or metallized body or the equivalent thereof, having either a plain .or an uneven surface and white or of difie'rent tints and IOC colors. The bright or reflective material is body we may use a sheet of transparent or of placed at'an angle with the perforated sheet material. If a plain reflective surface be employed-such as a sheet of silvered glass and the colored bright metallic or metalliz'ed body be placed at the back of the perforated material and out of line with the perforations therethrough, such body will be seen by reflection from the reflective surface.

In lieu of a bright metallic or metallized translucent materialsuch as glass-up0n which are secured in any suitable manner pieces of broken or of crissoled glass, white or of dilferent tints and colors. This form of backing maybe placed either directly behind or at a distance from the perforated sheet material. The perforations serve to more clearly delineate the shape or form of the letters, devices, or other characters. The top or sides or both of the containing frame or case may be so formed'and arranged as to allow light to be thrown upon and afterward reflected from the backing in order to obtain the best effect.

As will be obvious, our invention may be carried out in various forms.

In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings, Figure 1 is a front view; Fig. 2, a transverse section on the line A B, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, an end view of a device according to this-invention, designed for advertising purposes.

1 is a thin sheet of materialsuch as paper-upon which letters, or it may be other characters, for ornamental or other purposes are printed or otherwise impressed. It is formed with a number of perforations 2, and is mounted upon a sheet of glass 3, which forms the front of the case.

at is a backing formed of a sheet of bright" metal or of m'etallized material, preferably-- having a crumpled surface. It is carried by the rear wall 5 of the frame or case,and-may be of one color or of several colors, separate or intermingled.

By metallized material is meant material coated or covered with metal or having metal applied thereto.- 6 is the top of the frame or case, formedof transparent or of translucent material, preferably glass, to admit of light falling upon the backing 4:. When the frame or case is viewed from the front, lightwil'lbe refieeted from the backing 4, through the perforations 2, which will thus be made to somewhat resemble gems, the color of which will depend upon that of the backing, and when this is of different colors upon the direction of the line' of vision. The construction, as already stated, may be variously modified.

.XVhen. abacking i of one color only is employed, the glass'fr'ontjor top, or both, of the frame or case may be formed of sheets of glass of one or more colors, the same eflectbeing thereby obtained as would be obtained with a backing of several colors; or sheets of colored glass may beplaced directly in front of the backing and within the frame or case. hen sheets of differently-colored glass are employed, the sheets may be mounted in a frame adapted to be reciprocated by any convenient means-as, for instance, by an elec tric motor. By this means the color of the backing, as seen through the perforations 2, will be caused to continually vary.

To obtain 'the best eifect when the backing 4 is to be viewed by reflected light, the frame or case is preferably so arranged that light does not fall upon its front wall 3. Sheets or strips of reflective materialsuch as silvered glass'may be employed when necessary to reflect light upon the backing.

The frame or case may be of inverted pyramidal form, each side or face being formed in either of the ways hereinbefore described for advertising or other purpose. It may be so mounted as to be capable of revolving around the backing, which maybe of similar form and'be held stationary in any suitable manner. Upon the top of the outer case may be arranged a pyramidal cover, the sides of which are formed of plain or colored glass, and such cover may be arranged to revolve or not, as desired.

- hat we claim is- A frame or case having a front side of perforated sheet material and a backing or rear side arranged in an inclined plane behind said sheet material, in combination with ma.- terial havinga reflecting surface or surfaces arranged upon the upper side of said inclined back or rear side, substantially as herein described, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.-

- EDWVARD SMITH. FREDERICK SMITH- Witnesses:

F. J. BROUGHAM,

, W. CRoss,

Both of 46 Lincolns Inn Fields, London. 

